


Tracks of Life

by KurooWesBokuto



Series: Fairgameweek2020 [3]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Fluff, I love this fic, Light Angst, M/M, i still don't know how to tag, it's my favorite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-18
Updated: 2020-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:55:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23196664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KurooWesBokuto/pseuds/KurooWesBokuto
Summary: It's a typical morning in the Branwen-Ebi household. Breakfast was supposed to be an uneventful pasttime, but an innocent gift makes it one of the most memorable for their family.
Relationships: (past) Qrow Branwen/Summer Rose (onesided), Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi
Series: Fairgameweek2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1665496
Comments: 3
Kudos: 32





	Tracks of Life

**Author's Note:**

> This is my submission for Day 3 of fairgameweek2020. I chose family because it is my favorite trope of all fiction. Hope you enjoy.

Immediately upon opening his eyes, Qrow had to close them again. The sun’s rays peeked through the curtains just right to land right on his face. He groaned lightly, bringing a hand up to rub the blinding feeling from his eyes before reaching out beside him. When all he came into contact with was sheets, a blanket and a warm spot, Qrow turned over to look. He was alone in bed, which was an unusual feeling after the past five years, and he wasn’t sure how to feel about it. 

Sitting up, Qrow lifted his arms in an attempt to stretch and get some blood flowing. He ran a hand through his mussed hair, deciding whether or not to get up from his comfy bed. Eventually, Mother Nature won out and Qrow found himself needing to use the bathroom, so his decision was made for him. 

Once that business was done, Qrow looked in his bathroom mirror, assessing his appearance, not that it made a difference. Today was Saturday, so that meant no work, no school and no missions. It was finally a day that he could use to just relax and unwind. His hair, now no longer styled in that edgy ‘I’m an adult but I still want to relate to the kids’ way, was now just a fluffy, shaggy mess that was getting grayer with every year that passes. He had thought about dying it, but decided against it. He worked hard to live to this age and if he was graying then he’d proudly show it off. His scruff was getting a little long, with a mustache starting to grow in, which he would have none of. The scruffy chin was a style he had come to love, but the mustache was a no go. He had tried it once and when he found himself eating his hair along with his meals, he immediately shaved it off. 

His eyes were what caught his attention the most though. Prior to five years ago, he’d be ashamed to look into his refletion’s eyes. All that guilt from his life would just attack his emotions and he’d mentally shut down. Now, he does see all those emotions, but there is more. There’s hope. A sense of hope for the future. A future that Qrow could actually see himself being a part of and deserving of.

He smiled tiredly, nodding to his reflection before feeling the call of the coffee maker in the kitchen. No day could really start until he’s had at least two cups of coffee. 

Qrow walked out of his bedroom, his bare feet going over the cold feeling of the floors. He thought about changing into actual clothes, but wearing an oversized t-shirt and boxer shorts felt more like a lazy Saturday’s outfit than anything in his closet. 

As he came closer to the kitchen, he heard voices and laughter, which warmed his heart at hearing. There were only two people he knew who’d be in his kitchen at this early hour. He stepped into the entrance, only to lean against the frame and watch. There was an adoring smile on his face as he watched the two people he loved the most work in the kitchen. 

Standing at the stove was Clover, in his own form of pj’s, a white sleeveless shirt with pajama pants with black feathers and four leaf clovers scattered over it, his own creation. His feet were in those brown slippers that Qrow made fun of him for because they were what grandpa’s would wear, but Clover defended the comfort of them, so who was Qrow to deny him. The sun beamed down and a sparkle on his hand led Qrow to see that Clover was indeed wearing it. A silver band with engraved feathers on it. Qrow still couldn’t believe that the former Ace Op had said yes when he proposed. Well, that wasn’t completely true. Qrow knew that Clover would say yes, but he had hoped that the man was okay with the WAY he had asked.

Qrow hadn’t had some big plan and in fact, it was kind of a spur of the moment thing. They were walking down a hallway in the newly reconstructed Beacon and Qrow had tripped over his suddenly untied laces. He got on one knee to tie his shoe and when he finished he had looked up to Clover and shrugged and said, “I’m down here already, what do you say? Marry me?” 

Qrow internally cringed at how sudden and uncharacteristic that was of him, but with Salem redeemed and crossed over to the afterlife, Ozpin finally able to rest eternally and the relics now in the hands of the Brothers, Qrow was ready to take advantage of life with the man he had unintentionally falling completely head over heels for. The sight of a flustered and stuttering Clover had been worth it though.

“No! Let me! Please!” The tiny voice of the second occupant in the kitchen sounded out, snapping Qrow out of his thoughts. Standing next to Clover, on a step stool to see on top of the stove was the second love of his life. Long sandy brown hair fell down to her lower back, a fluffy coyote tail with patches of white poking out of her pajama pants. Her skin a light tan, and from his view, he could see her blue eyes full of determination and light. 

A chuckle from Clover sounded, before he handed a spatula to the child, “Okay, okay. Just be careful Malia.”

The faunus child, Malia, grinned a feral grin and immediately went to work, attempting to flip whatever was in the frying pan. Qrow assumed it was pancakes, since the weekends were usually the only time they had time to make actual breakfasts and Sundays was a more chaotic affair, with all of Qrow’s adopted nieces and nephews, along with his actual nieces and all of their respective families. It was a tradition they had started in order to remain in contact after the war had finally come to a close.

With a clumsy yank, Malia somehow succeeded in flipping a pancake, earning an excited yelp. Her reaction elicited a chuckle from Qrow, revealing his presence to the two. Malia turned and glared at the man, lips curling into a pout. “Daddy! You were supposed to stay in bed!” She complained. “Papa and I were gonna bring you breakfast!”

Pushing away from the door frame and walking over to his family, Qrow could only smile as he leaned down to press a kiss to the top of Malia’s head, cueing her tail to start wagging, against the young girl’s wishes. When Marrow suggested that Clover and Qrow adopt a young faunus girl who had lost her parents in the Fall of Atlas, he was skeptical, but the little girl filled a void in Qrow’s heart that he had been missing ever since Ruby got accepted to Beacon. She was the perfect piece to complete his perfect family. “Sorry pup. Next time, I promise.” He stated softly, before moving on to Clover.

The man had a loving yet smug smirk on his face, one that made Qrow annoyed about how attractive his husband was. So, Qrow did what he could to wipe the smirk off his face by placing a soft kiss to the man’s lips. “Mornin.” Was all he said once separated. 

“Ugh! Eww! Gross!” Was the response he got from Malia, earning a chuckle from the two men.    
  


Qrow looked up at Clover, “Breakfast in bed? Really? What’s the occasion?” He asked.

Clover pointed over his shoulder to the little girl who was still pouting but still paying attention to the pan on the stove. “Malia woke me up and wanted to surprise you.” He explained.

Qrow raised an eyebrow, “Why me? You’re clearly her favorite.” He stated. It was true. They had adopted Malia when she was only three years old and apparently Qrow’s red eyes reminded her of the Grimm that attacked her family. She had immediately warmed up to Clover, crawling into his lap and hugging him tightly. Her nervousness lasted for a few months after living with the two men, when she came to Qrow in the middle of the night crying about bad dreams and monsters; something Qrow could relate to. He calmed her down and let her fall asleep on his chest. In the morning, Clover showed the picture he took of the scene, which may or may not be the background to Qrow’s scroll. 

Ever since then, Malia had been working on not being nervous around Qrow. She’s made enormous progress, now not even flinching when they made eye contact. However, she still tended to come to Clover most of the time. Qrow figured it was also due to the fact that Clover was weak to Malia’s literal ‘Puppy Dog Eyes.’ and couldn’t say no to them. She may not be his daughter biologically, but she did inherit Qrow’s observant nature.

Returning back to the present moment, Clover gave Qrow a sad smile. “She saw us yesterday, in the living room.” He said, placing a hand on Qrow’s shoulder.

Qrow’s eyebrows raised as the previous day’s events played back. It was one of his few rough moments, that day always was. He had been doing pretty well all day, saying a quick memorial prayer when he woke up and went about his days like usual. Apparently, he had forgotten that at Signal it was the day for the kids to prepare for forming teams and partnering up with random people. The lesson triggered memories that Qrow thought he had control over. 

He remembers landing on the ground of the Emerald Forest, looking around for any other students, hoping to catch the eye of Raven. All he heard was some grumbling and whining nearby, which had him curious. He remembers walking a short distance before finding a tiny girl with black and red hair struggling to release her white hood from a branch that it had tangled up with. He remembers stepping on a twig and alerting the girl of his presence and seeing the hopeful and longing look in her silver eyes. 

_ “Heh, a little help please?”  _ She had asked embarrassingly, her face turning red.

At the time, he was irritated that this was who he had to partner with, but little did he know at that time, this young woman would become his very first love.

And then the flash forward to that day when Oz and Glynda came to visit Tai’s home in Patch. Qrow had been spending the past two weeks there, helping Tai take care of the girls while Summer was away on her mission. When Qrow saw the two teachers standing at the door with somber expressions on their faces, he knew. He knew that Summer wasn’t coming back. 

Yesterday was the anniversary of her ‘funeral’ which Qrow had the date memorized. He had to pull it together while he was teaching, but as soon as he got home, his emotions took over. He found himself sobbing into his hands uncontrollably. Clover had been home with a sick Malia, who was in the final stages of a nasty stomach bug, so he heard the crying from upstairs. He came rushing down and wrapped his husband in his arms, holding him until the man had calmed down. Clover knew all about the date, having been called by Ruby and Yang both asking if their uncle was doing okay. He sat there with Qrow until the man had made himself too tired to move, so Clover carried his husband upstairs to their room. 

“She ambushed me after I put you to bed, demanding to know what I did to make ‘Daddy’ sad.” Clover explained, bringing Qrow back to Remnant. He had a smile on his face as he retold the story. “Once I told her that it was just a bad day for you, she demanded to be woken up early today in order to make you feel better.” 

If he didn’t already love his daughter, Clover’s story made it a sure thing. He looked over to Malia, who had clumsily placed the pancake in the pan on a nearby plate. It was obvious the seven year old had never cooked by herself before, given that the pancake was charred on one side and still a bit liquidy on the other. She nodded with a happy smile on her face as she took the plate and walked it over to a tray that sat on the kitchen table. Qrow hadn’t noticed it before, but there was already food on the tray, which included toast, bacon and eggs, plus what looked like an extra large mug of coffee and some kind of juice. It looked like they were almost finished when he walked in.

Malia turned to Qrow and Clover, crossing her tiny arms, “Daddy go back to bed!” She demanded. Qrow raised an eyebrow at her, his gaze challenging the girl. She looked away slightly, before sighing, “Daddy, please, go back to bed!” She corrected herself.

  
Qrow turned back to Clover, who shrugged with an amused smile. “Better do what she says. You know how stubborn she is.” Clover advised.

Rolling his eyes, Qrow started walking out of the room. “She gets it from you I bet.” He turned back to Clover, sticking his tongue out.

He walked back to his room and had only just sat down on the bed when both Malia and Clover walked in. His husband was holding the tray while Malia seemed to be holding a piece of paper. Qrow lifted his legs and sat against the headboard of his bed, with Clover sitting down and placing the tray on Qrow’s lap. Malia insisted on sitting on the bed too, snuggling up to Qrow’s side, before Clover got on the other side of their daughter.

After getting situated on the bed, with the tray balanced, Qrow looked down at his daughter. “So, little biter, what should I start with?” He asked. He really wanted to ask about the paper she was holding, but figured that she’d explain eventually. 

Malia looked over the tray, before pointing to the singular pancake on the plate. “Papa made everything else, but I made that by myself.” She reasoned, a proud smile on her face. Qrow couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride as well, seeing his daughter living her best life and being happy while doing it. There was literally nothing he wouldn’t do to keep that smile on her face. Including eating a horribly cooked pancake that might lead to a case of food poisoning. 

Qrow bravely took a bite from the pancake, the burnt crispy parts overpowering the undercooked liquidy parts. His throat screamed out not to swallow it, but Qrow was determined to eat it. He caught sight of Clover’s amused smirk, knowing exactly the pain his husband was going through. Malia wasn’t the best at anything in the kitchen. Clover had to try a test pancake before Qrow woke up, which ended up in a similar state as the one served to Qrow. 

It took a few minutes and him downing the entire mug of coffee, but he got the deadly breakfast down, receiving an earnest grin from Malia. She seemed to be radiating some kind of happy energy, which was worth the queasy feeling Qrow was now feeling in his stomach. He went to start eating the rest, hoping the more appetizing looking eggs would help, before Malia interrupted him.

“Daddy wait!” She exclaimed. She turned to Clover, “Can we move the tray?” She asked. Clover nodded and moved the tray over to the bedside table. She took advantage of the now empty space in Qrow’s lap to climb up herself. She cuddled up to his side, before handing the folded piece of paper in her hand over to him. “Here. I hope you like it.” Malia stated, her blue eyes shimmering with genuine innocence.

Qrow smiled, expecting another drawing of the three of them in some form, which was what Malia usually did. She was quite the artist, you know, for a seven year old little girl. He definitely doesn’t have a folder in his desk at work of only her many drawings. He also doesn’t take them out whenever he’s feeling a bit down in order to make himself feel better. And if Tai caught him one day grinning like an idiot at her latest drawing and nearly crying from joy, Qrow would deny it until his last breath.

He opened the card and was completely floored by its contents. His eyes immediately felt the sting of tears forming as he studied the drawing. The main subject of the picture was the same as many of the others. It was of the three of them, Clover, Qrow and Malia, holding hands in what looked to be a heavily forested area. However, it was what was drawn above them, hiding amongst the clouds in the sky. It was a perfect likeness of his old partner, best friend and unrequited crush, Summer Rose. She had a warm smile on her face as she had a hand reaching down and white rose petals were falling around the happy family. 

“Daddy? Are you okay?” Malia asked, her face going from hopeful to scared. “Do you not like it?”

Qrow looked at the little girl with wide and watery eyes. He wiped them in order to see clearly, before gesturing to the picture. “Malia, I...what is this?” He asked, his voice and brain not cooperating with him.

The little girl looked at her hands, playing with them nervously, “Well, you were sad yesterday and I thought you’d like a picture of the pretty girl with the white hood.” She explained.

Qrow shook his head, “But...how did you know about her?” He doesn’t ever remember showing a picture of his team to Malia. He sure as hell didn’t have any other pictures of Summer, as they were too painful to keep around. Even Clover has only seen the team picture, even after all these years. 

“When Papa brought you to bed yesterday I gave you a hug and I just saw her in my head. She was in a tree and her hood was stuck. She was funny.” Her head was tilted to the side, her expression still curious yet concerned. “In my head she told me that she was glad that you were happy.” 

Still trying to recover from the initial surprise of the drawing, Qrow could only sputter with tears falling freely from his eyes. Clover decided to take over, leaning over with warm but curious eyes. “Malia, what do you mean by ‘in your head?’”

She shrugged, “I dunno. I just gave Daddy a hug and then I could see her. She also was in my dreams last night, so I thought she was just a nice lady.” She explained. “She knew my name too.”

Taking a shaky breath, Qrow lifted Malia off his lap. He climbed out of the bed to stand at the window. Both Malia and Clover watched with worry in their eyes, not knowing where Qrow’s head was. Clover was especially worried because while Qrow was in a much more stable mental space than he was when they met, the older man wasn’t the best when it came to emotions. 

Qrow just stared out the window, looking to the sunny cloud filled skies. _Summer, are you really happy for me? Happy that I moved on? Betraying my feelings for you?_ He shook his head, feeling those old demons starting to crawl out of their cages. He couldn’t allow himself to fall back in that dark place. _No, I’m not betraying you. I’m living the best life I could have._ He turned back to look at his family over his shoulder. There was another well of tears forming in his eyes as he went back to looking at the sky. _Sorry Summer. I didn’t mean to be so angry at you. I knew you loved me, but not in the way I wanted at the time. And then you died and I felt you leaving me again. I’m so sorry for not forgiving you and holding onto this anger for so long._ The tears fell again, his shoulders shaking as he let out sorrowful sobs. _But thank you for your blessing._ His legs became too wobbly for him to stand, collapsing to his knees. Clover and Malia both rushed over, holding him and hugging him for comfort as he let out more uncontrollable sobs. Malia was scared, having never heard Qrow crying this much. Clover however recognized this kind of crying. It was the same kind that occurred the night before their wedding. It was an accepting kind of cry, one of happiness.

It took a few minutes, but Qrow finally was able to stop his crying, turning to Malia. She looked afraid, her eyes looking down and her tail literally between her legs. He smiled, his eyes gleaming with a new sense of pride. He grabbed her and squeezed her to his chest. “Thank you Pup.” He whispered into her ears. “It’s the best gift anyone could’ve given me.”  _ In more ways than you can ever imagine. _

Malia didn’t speak, but she did wrap her arms around his neck and hugged him hard. Clover draped himself over Qrow’s back, hugging both of them into his arms. If one were to walk in, they’d see the loving family in a pile on the floor, awkward and emotional, but full of love.

Their eyes were all closed, so they didn’t notice the wind outside blowing lightly, white rose petals flying by. If someone were to look quickly, they would swear they could see a small woman running along to the wind, a warm smile on her face with a single happy tear falling from her silver eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> So, for some clarification, Malia unlocked her semblance when she hugged Qrow. She is like a spirit medium, able to channel the thoughts of those who have passed away, as long as she can touch the person they are attached to. She can also see memories with this ability.
> 
> I am very proud of how this came out and Malia will show up more in future stories I think. I love faunus children being happy with life.


End file.
